Abstract: In a friction stir welding method, a pair of plate materials is arranged opposing one another such that the ends thereof are butted together, after which friction stir welding is performed. A first shoulder is arranged at one surface of the pair of plate materials and a second shoulder is arranged at the other surface of the plate materials to sandwich therebetween a joint to be formed by friction stirring of the end parts of the plate materials, and the first shoulder and the second shoulder are rotated, thereby friction stirring the joint of the pair of plate materials. As the joint is friction stirred, the first shoulder and the second shoulder are moved from the other surface toward the one surface of the plate materials, thereby forming at the joint a protruding part protruding from the one surface of the plate materials as the friction stir welding is performed.

Abstract: The welded material manufacturing method includes preparing a welding jig, disposed to straddle a line extended from the abutment line of the abutting parts of two plates and supporting an end tab, and in which a groove and an open section are formed; disposing the plates to abut against each other; disposing the welding jig on an end of the abutment line; setting an end tab on the welding jig and positioning the end tab with respect to the plates; disposing the first shoulder and a probe connected to the first shoulder on the groove side of the extension line; disposing a second shoulder in a position corresponding to the first shoulder and the probe; connecting the second shoulder to the probe to interpose the end tab between the first shoulder and the second shoulder; and executing the friction stir welding.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a client system and a server for searching, through the Internet, useful information that matches more closely a user's intention. The system is used for searching questions or answers posted by members in a Q&A (question and answers) site which is used by users who are registered as members. The members are then classified into multiple types based on a database, in which posted questions and answers were separated, and attribute information of members. For each question and answer, the tendency of the type who often supports the contents is stored. In this way, a question or answer is searched based on not only a search keyword but also on a type of searcher.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a vehicle body frame including a roof structure, side structures that face each other, and a floor structure is provided. The method includes a primary joining step of butt-joining only a first set of face plates among inner face plates and outer face plates of a plurality of panel boards that form the side structures, and manufacturing intermediate bodies of the side structures; a structure joining step of joining the roof structure, the floor structure, and the intermediate bodies; and a secondary joining step of joining, after the structure joining step, a second set of face plates among the inner face plates and the outer face plates of the plurality of panel boards that form the intermediate bodies to complete the side structures.

Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or spectroscopy on a MR scanner to detect tissue physiological parameters in one or more tissue areas in a human or non-human subject includes administering to the subject a contrast enhancing physiologically tolerable amount of a sugar that is non-labeled, subjecting the subject to an MR procedure capable of generating MR signals encoding at least one tissue area in the subject in which the sugar either passes or is taken up, detecting a temporal variation in the MR signals in the at least one tissue area after the administering the sugar, determining at least one tissue-related parameter from the temporal variation, and ascertaining whether the at least one tissue-related parameter is abnormal.

Abstract: A friction-stir welding tool includes a front shoulder; a rear shoulder in contact with plate materials; and a probe penetrating the plate materials between the front and rear shoulders, the probe connecting the front shoulder and the rear shoulder to each other. The probe has a first screw part provided on at least one axial end section, and at least one of the front shoulder and the rear shoulder has a second screw part in threaded engagement with the first screw part, the threaded engagement changing so that the rear shoulder and the front shoulder approach each other along the axial direction as the front shoulder and the rear shoulder rotate relative to each other, and the threaded engagement with the first screw part linking at least one of the rear shoulder and the front shoulder with the probe.

Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or spectroscopy on a MR scanner to detect tissue physiological parameters in one or more tissue areas in a human or non-human subject includes administering to the subject a contrast enhancing physiologically tolerable amount of a sugar that is non-labeled, subjecting the subject to an MR procedure capable of generating MR signals encoding at least one tissue area in the subject in which the sugar either passes or is taken up, detecting a temporal variation in the MR signals in the at least one tissue area after the administering the sugar, determining at least one tissue-related parameter from the temporal variation, and ascertaining whether the at least one tissue-related parameter is abnormal.

Abstract: The welded material manufacturing method includes preparing a welding jig, disposed to straddle a line extended from the abutment line of the abutting parts of two plates and supporting an end tab, and in which a groove and an open section are formed; disposing the plates to abut against each other; disposing the welding jig on an end of the abutment line; setting an end tab on the welding jig and positioning the end tab with respect to the plates; disposing the first shoulder and a probe connected to the first shoulder on the groove side of the extension line; disposing a second shoulder in a position corresponding to the first shoulder and the probe; connecting the second shoulder to the probe to interpose the end tab between the first shoulder and the second shoulder; and executing the friction stir welding.

Abstract: A friction stirring and joining apparatus includes a tool holder; and pressing means provided ahead in a direction of joining by a tool held by the tool holder for pressing a junction surface of a workpiece. The pressing means includes a load imparting section that imparts a load toward the workpiece; a first abutting portion that is provided between the load imparting section and the tool held by the tool holder and abuts on the junction surface in the workpiece; a second abutting portion that is provided opposite the first abutting portion with respect to the load imparting section and abuts on the junction surface of the workpiece; and a supporting portion that is attached to the load imparting section and supports the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion.

Abstract: A member support of a friction stir spot welding device has a backing piece having a bearing surface that contacts work-pieces, and a supporting body that supports the backing piece such that the backing piece tilts with the tilting of the work-pieces, which is in contact with the bearing surface. In the backing piece, the amount of change in the position of the bearing surface on the extension line of the central axis of rotation between a state in which the bearing surface is in a reference state perpendicular to the central axis of rotation of a rotary tool and a state in which the bearing surface tilts in response to the tilting of the work-pieces, is less than or equal to a predetermined embedding amount with which the shoulder part of the rotary tool is embedded in the work-pieces.

Abstract: There is provided an ink discharge apparatus including a discharge head provided with a nozzle surface having a first nozzle which is formed in the nozzle surface and via which a liquid droplet of a first ink is discharged and a second nozzle which is formed in the nozzle surface and via which a liquid droplet of a second ink, having a color deeper than a color of the first ink, is discharged; a maintenance device which performs maintenance of the discharge head; and an apparatus body in which the maintenance device is arranged. The maintenance device includes a suction cap which is arranged with respect to the apparatus body, with a predetermined clearance, so the suction cap is rockable three-dimensionally; and an urging mechanism which urges a corner portion of the suction cap in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle surface.

Abstract: A motorized syringe for use with two types of dental anesthetic solution-filled cartridges, having a plunger plug in the 1.8 ml cartridge pushed by a push rod by a length required to push a plunger plug in the 1.0 ml cartridge. The syringe includes a cartridge holder for use with 1.0 ml and 1.8 ml cartridges, the push rod having a 1.0 ml position and a 1.8 ml position drawn back from the 1.0 ml position so that push rod movement can end at a common terminal position for both, a sleeve adapted to receive the push rod rear end when pushed back from the common terminal position, and to be not interfered with by the push rod's rear end when it is in the 1.0 ml position, the sleeve being pushed rearward with the push rod's rear end when pushed back to the 1.8 ml position.

Abstract: A friction stir welding includes a main body for holding a tool and a hot air and cool air separating unit. The separating unit is disposed at the main body and separates a supplied gas into hot air hotter than the gas and cool air cooler than the gas in a tube portion and ejects the cool air from a first end of the tube portion and ejects hot air from a second end of the tube portion. The hot air is supplied to a front side of a movement direction of the tool in the surface of the work piece from a tool side of the friction stir welding apparatus and the cool air is supplied to a rear side of the movement direction of the tool in the surface of the work piece from the tool side of the friction stir welding apparatus.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink bag including two flexible sheets disposed to face each other, a plug, a case including a first wall portion and a second wall portion arranged in parallel, a third wall portion arranged perpendicularly with respect to the pair of wall portions, and a penetration portion, the case housing the ink bag such that sheet surfaces of the two sheets respectively face the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and a pressing member including a curved portion toward the outside and a sheet having lower flexibility than that of the two sheets, wherein between the ink bag and the first wall portion, the pressing member is elastically deformed and a restoring force occurs by one section of the curved portion contacting with the first wall portion and another section of the curved portion contacting with one of the two sheets.

Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or spectroscopy on a MR scanner to detect tissue physiological parameters in one or more tissue areas in a human or non-human subject includes administering to the subject a contrast enhancing physiologically tolerable amount of a sugar that is non-labeled, subjecting the subject to an MR procedure capable of generating MR signals encoding at least one tissue area in the subject in which the sugar either passes or is taken up, detecting a temporal variation in the MR signals in the at least one tissue area after the administering the sugar, determining at least one tissue-related parameter from the temporal variation, and ascertaining whether the at least one tissue-related parameter is abnormal.

Abstract: In a bobbin tool including a first shoulder surface which comes into contact with a front surface of a subject work piece, a second shoulder surface which is disposed so as to face the first shoulder surface and comes into contact with a rear surface of the work piece, and a shaft portion which connects the first shoulder surface and the second shoulder surface to each other with a gap therebetween fixed, the first shoulder surface and the second shoulder surface are provided with a first vortex groove and a second vortex groove which extend toward the front side of a tool rotation direction so as to be opened to the outer peripheral edge as it moves to the outer peripheral side.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a technique for producing a jointed member by subjecting two to-be-jointed members which are contacted each other to friction stir welding. The method for producing a jointed member executes a dwelling step in which a probe is rotated only for a predetermined period at at least one of a probe starting point position which is a position of the probe for forming a joint starting point in the to-be-jointed member and a probe end point position which is a position of the probe for forming a joint end point in the to-be-jointed member.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes a storage portion, a housing, a movable member, a support portion, and an intermediate member. The storage portion has flexibility and is configured to store ink. The housing that covers the storage portion and at least a central portion of the storage portion is fixed to the housing. The movable member contacts with the storage portion in the housing, and is rotatable in accordance with changes in a position of contact with the storage portion. The support portion is provided in the housing and includes a pair of engagement portions. The pair of engagement portions are disposed at an interval therebetween and rotatably support the movable member. The intermediate member is disposed between the movable member and the storage portion.

Abstract: A motorized syringe for use with two types of dental anesthetic solution-filled cartridges, having a plunger plug in the 1.8 ml cartridge pushed by a push rod by a length required to push a plunger plug in the 1.0 ml cartridge. The syringe includes a cartridge holder for use with 1.0 ml and 1.8 ml cartridges, the push rod having a 1.0 ml position and a 1.8 ml position drawn back from the 1.0 ml position so that push rod movement can end at a common terminal position for both, a sleeve adapted to receive the push rod rear end when pushed back from the common terminal position, and to be not interfered with by the push rod's rear end when it is in the 1.0 ml position, the sleeve being pushed rearward with the push rod's rear end when pushed back to the 1.8 ml position.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes a storage portion, a housing, a movable member, a support portion, and an intermediate member. The storage portion has flexibility and is configured to store ink. The housing that covers the storage portion and at least a central portion of the storage portion is fixed to the housing. The movable member contacts with the storage portion in the housing, and is rotatable in accordance with changes in a position of contact with the storage portion. The support portion is provided in the housing and includes a pair of engagement portions. The pair of engagement portions are disposed at an interval therebetween and rotatably support the movable member. The intermediate member is disposed between the movable member and the storage portion.